The Noble Families of Sugar Rush
by Steel-Winged Pegasus
Summary: Medieval Fantasy AU involving Rancis, Taffyta, Crumbelina, and, last but not least, Vanellope! From gryphon races to family feuds to forbidden romances, this details life in Sugar Rush as seen through the eyes of the privileged few! My first serious multi-chapter, hoping for around 20 or 25 chapters.
1. Meet the High Houses

**A/N:** **Once again, give a big hand to my niece for thinking the basic idea up! I merely changed some parts, thought of names, added on to it, and turned this into an AU fanfic! Oh, and I don't own Wreck-It Ralph! Name logic is that Markipan is a portmanteau of Mark and marzipan, Eclaire is Claire and eclair, Cadbury is a chocolate-making company in the UK, Kat is the second half of Kit-Kat, Pizzella is a portmanteau of Ella and pizzelle, Cannolio is Benvolio and cannoli, and Carmella... Sounds like caramel. Niece thought that up. Really corny, I know. Like the case with Taffyta's name referencing taffy and her theme of strawberry hard candy, Cadbury suffers the same except for what his name references. Also, big A/N is big.**

It's been five years since the Candy Kingdom of Sugar Rush has been usurped by Turbo, a wretched and cruel warlock who intended to make everyone's lives miserable. King Candy and Queen Pizzella Von Schweetz, along with their daughter Vanellope, happily live in the castle, ruling over everyone with love and fairness. The kingdom is still getting back onto its feet after two years of imperial rule from Turbo.

Sometimes, though, some of the nobles, mainly Duke Cadbury and Duchess Eclaire Muttonfudge, don't really think too highly of them. Arrogant and snobbish, they are much wealthier than the other two high houses, the lordship of the Fluggerbutters and Count and Countess of Caramello. The duke and his wife have one child: a daughter named Taffyta. She is surprisingly kind to Vanellope, especially since she was ordered by Turbo to treat the Von Schweetz family harshly during his rule. Either way, House Muttonfudge has always been wealthy and with that wealth comes a nasty attitude that has since become the family characteristic.

Cadbury is a platinum-blonde man with bright blue eyes and fair skin. He was the sole heir to the Muttonfudge Manor and he always have had that sophisticated and elegant air around him. He is one of those types that always has it all, which isn't surprising at all, considering his high ranking in nobility. He met his wife about sixteen years or so years ago during a social gathering at his manor. At first, it was a bit of an awkward silence, but Eclaire quickly started things up by introducing herself as the Countess de le Desserts Français and it was then that Cadbury became lovestruck by the rather charming and beautiful Frenchwoman. The more she told him more about herself, the more he seemed to be going head over heels for her! And so, he started visiting her. It wasn't very often at first, since the region was pretty far away, but he soon found himself visiting more and more often. Eventually, he asked her to be his wife and, much to his joy, she said happily accepted. That was how Countess Eclaire de le Desserts Français became Duchess Eclaire Muttonfudge. Still, they both aren't very fond of the royal Von Schweetz family. Why? Well, one reason is that they feel it's time for a shift in power. Another reason is that, due to their arrogance, they feel they deserve the attention and power, not this...silly and rather carefree family they call their leaders. Somehow, though, they can never put themselves to actually overthrow the family despite their intense dislike for them. This, no one knows for sure; not even the family itself knows why.

Lord and Lady Fluggerbutter, on the opposite end of the attitude spectrum, are more amiable towards the royal family. Lord Markipan Fluggerbutter may be slightly egotistical, but that stems from a rather gloomy and lonely childhood. He was always cared for by butlers and maids; his mother died in childbirth and his father was far too busy with managing the Fluggerbutter Manor. He was always made fun of by children his age due to his pale skin and freckles and curly blonde hair, so he would always look in the mirror and tell himself that he's better than all of those children. He and his wife, Lady Kat Fluggerbutter, has a son named Rancis, who's apparently picked up on his father's slight ego problem. Sometimes he laments that his son went through the same lonely childhood as he did due to the fact that Rancis, too, looks in the mirror and tells himself how great his hair looks and the poor boy never tells his father what goes on. He met Lady Kat when they were young; his father had to take him along once to arrange a marriage between his son and the neighboring lord's daughter for when they were older. This resulted in them getting married at a very young age; Markipan was eighteen and Kat, seventeen. Still, even with their relatively long marriage compared to the others, they still love each other as much as when they made their vows. In fact, part of the reason Markipan still loves her to this very day is because she became his first friend... His only childhood friend. Kat saw how sad Markipan was when they met, so she offered to be friends with him. That day, his life changed for the better, as they saw each other fairly often due to the close proximity of the neighboring manors.

Finally, Count Cannolio and Countess Carmella DiCaramello. The DiCaramellos always try to calm the Muttonfudges down when they see the royal family. They really don't like the fiery arguments that break out between House Muttonfudge and House Fluggerbutter, as they're not willing to rile anything up against the Von Schweetz family. Count Cannolio is a very jovial and social nobleman, with a party at least once a week at his manor. Countess Carmella, however, is more reserved and elegant, much like their daughter Crumbelina. Like when Duke Cadbury met Eclaire, they met about sixteen years ago, but under different circumstances. King Candy introduced her to him during a meeting discussing a better way of dividing up the land for the farmers. Also just like with Duke Cadbury and Duchess Eclaire, it was love at first sight for the both of them; in fact, he was so enamored with the young lady, he went so far as to go onto her family's property and serenaded her one night! Countess Carmella has said many times that she's fallen for him because of his adoring antics, rather than for his dashing good looks and charm. Of course, who wouldn't find the tan-skinned, dark-haired party host handsome? With his easygoing attitude and more relaxed clothing compared to the other nobles, it's easy to get comfortable around him, too!

This is a glimpse of the everyday lives of each of the families, from friendly sparring to royal ballroom dances and even to a feud or two! As you read, maybe you'll grow to ally yourself to one of the families or maybe love them all! Maybe you'll carry that powerful and snobbish, yet sophisticated, attitude of House Muttonfudge! Or perhaps you're more like the friendly and kind House Fluggerbutter? Or would you enjoy partying and having fun at the Caramellos' fanciful manor? Welcome to life in Sugar Rush as seen through the eyes of the privileged few!


	2. Truffles the Gryphon

A warm day in the kingdom, where the sun shines brightly and the birds chirp loudly. It's May, a bit of an exciting month for everyone in general. This is the month where everyone is getting ready for the Gryphon Races in June! The mighty beasts fly proudly as the inhabitants bet on their favorite gryphon and their rider. There is little risk of injuries from the gryphons, however. They've been trained since they were hatchlings to not attack humans. Still, the risk of injury from possible collisions are still rather high, as gryphons attack other gryphons due to instinct.

The princess smiles at her gryphon, a sprightly and energetic teal female with feathers and fur feeling like cotton candy. Her brown front legs are filled with razor sharp candy cane talons, due to be filed down in a little while, and her hazel eyes are fierce with determination to win.

Vanellope remembers when she first got her. It was on a Christmas Day about six years ago and the little girl, about eight years old at the time, was fizzing with excitement about the present that was in front of her. The King and Queen watch on happily as Vanellope opened up the box to find a little baby gryphon, about five months old. The gryphon immediately screeched at her, unfamiliar with the princess. But Vanellope smiled and said, "I love her so much! Thanks for the bestest present ever, Mom and Dad!"

The pair became the best of friends, the princess even going so far as to let Truffles (the gryphon) sleep in her room! Truffles loves her owner much like a child loves his or her mother: defensive when needed, but as gentle as can be when she's calm.

However, it wasn't all gumdrops and happiness. A year later, Turbo came and drove the royal family out, imprisoning King Candy and going so far as to impersonate as him! Vanellope was forced to leave behind her home, for if she took Truffles along, the young gryphon would surely be killed by hunters. So Vanellope and Pizzella disguised themselves and hid in a remote part of the kingdom... Without Truffles. In the two years of Turbo's rule, she was abused and neglected by the wretched man, but she knew her owner would be back, and come back she did with a few powerful allies: the huge axe fighter Ralph, the expert archer Tamora Jean Calhoun, and the healer Felix.

Truffles spreads her wings out proudly, letting Vanellope admire her wingspan. She was proud of her wings, having won respect and admiration from her friends and rivals with them. Large and powerful, Truffles has most of the good stuff a gryphon rider would want.

"Wow, girl! Ya grew a good deal!" Vanellope exclaimed, running her hand through the gryphon's soft fur. Truffles's wingspan now reaches about 10 or 12 feet, which meant that she's just about done growing now. Prime time for a gryphon to start racing.

Vanellope is fourteen now, the minimum age for a rider to participate. Some from other kingdoms may say that's far too young considering the dangers, but Sugar Rush is known for its annual Gryphon Races in June, meaning racers at least that age are the norm. With all the gryphon riding lessons and caring tips, the racers are rarely in danger of their beloved friends attacking them.

The Gryphon Races are an integral part of the kingdom, as some of the racers who participate are from poor families and those who win first place are granted fame and wealth. However, the competition is very heated, and racers often died when the Gryphon Races were introduced early on in the kingdom's life. That all changed soon after, though, when the king who introduced the races decreed numerous laws mandating riding lessons and taming and training the gryphons before racing.

Truffles screeches happily, nuzzling her owner gently. Vanellope smiles back at her, feeling that she's raised her well. "Here ya go, featherbrains! A nice juicy gummy for ya," she offers the gryphon, grabbing a nicely sized gummy bear from a treat box. She stands back a bit, throwing the gummy bear up in the air so Truffles can grab it and happily chow down on it. Like the rowdy princess, the young gryphon has an appetite to match her energy and loves playing around with the owner she knows and loves. Playtime can get a little rough at times, but Truffles would never hurt Vanellope. Not on purpose, of course.

Sour Bill comes in, as nonchalantly as always. He sighs, amazed at how he can manage to be patient with the princess's childish ways as she gives Truffles a vigorous belly rub. "Milady, the daughter of the duke and duchess has arrived," he mumbles, not daring to go near what he views as a monstrous beast. "I believe she's here to see you, as always," he adds, in the same droning tone to get her attention from afar.

"Sweet! She probably snuck out wanting to hang around with me. I know how the Muttonfudges shriek at the mention of either House Von Schweetz or House Fluggerbutter," she laughs, but she knows full well of the poisonous animosity House Muttonfudge has against the royal family. "Alright, Truffles. Ya gotta behave while Taffyta's here, okay?" she tells the gryphon. She chirps back, only vaguely familiar with the noble girl. Her teal feathers are ruffled up from playtime and she can get a little wild sometimes, so she's rather unsure on how to act around the future duchess of Muttonfudge Manor. One can only hope she doesn't do anything that will make Taffyta freak out or otherwise scared.


	3. Future Duchess and Future Queen

So there stands Taffyta Muttonfudge, daughter of the duke and duchess, the sole heiress of the Mutonfudge Manor. For the most part, she looks like her father but she got the tan glow from her mother. She wears the iconic sparkly pink dress most people identify as a Muttonfudge woman and she is good-natured for the most part. It's a different story, however, when competition arises: the snobbish and boastful attitude of the family flares up, showing that even those who stand out the most in the family aren't totally immune to the notable feature of the family.

"It's about time you got here! I started to think something happened to you," Taffyta huffs, tapping her foot impatiently. Knowing how much her family hates her friend's family, she has to keep a low profile so she wouldn't be caught with Vanellope. Only one of the servants know, but Taffyta is somewhat distrustful of her lest she tells the duke and duchess.

"Sorry, Taffy," the princess apologizes, wishing she changed out of her poofy pink dress of magic sparkles and froo-froo royalty and into her gryphon racing attire comprised of light teal-colored armor and iron boots. She hates being seen like this by her crush. Well, seen like this by _anyone_, really. She snaps out of her thoughts and explains, "Got caught up in playtime with Truffles. How's Marsha doing?"

The future duchess giggles, "She's doing great. She just got done preening her feathers for the day and she's raring to go for the races next month! Thanks for asking, Your Sweetness."  
"Hey, ya don't need to be so fancy and stuffy, Duchess!" Vanellope retorts playfully. On the inside, though, she felt like she was cloud nine! The only thing was that Taffyta called her "Your Sweetness" instead of just plain old "sweetheart", but she'll have to settle for now.

"Heh. It'll take more than your say-so to stop me, Your Highness," the pink racer teases again, smiling. She hopes no one is hearing all this; she could have easily told the princess that she likes to tease her...and maybe more.

The princess rolls her eyes at her, stifling a giggle. However, a smile creeps up onto her face even though she's fighting back. She doesn't want to tell Taffyta how she feels about her. Not yet. She sighs, regaining her composure, and asks about her day, "So how are ya doing today? Pretty great?"

"Dad is watching the gryphon maintenance carefully and Mom's bossing the servants around. Obviously, I snuck out to see the princess," she boasts, sticking a lollipop in her mouth. "Can't hang around for too long, though. There's this one servant and I don't think she can hold a secret that well...," Taffyta sighs.

"Lemme guess: Candlehead?" Van asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep. I swear, one wrong step on Candlehead's part, my parents will kill me for hanging with a person like you!" she groans. "I just can't trust Candlehead all that well, Princess," the pink girl adds, taking out the lollipop. To her, Candlehead makes for a good friend: always listening to her problems, sticking by tough times... But Candlehead can also be very ditzy. Even though her friend's ditziness has helped Taffyta, it has worked against her once in a while. Once, Candlehead told Duchess Eclaire about socializing with the "commoners", especially with the likes of Jubileena, Adorabeezle, and Minty Zaki. As a result, Taffyta got grounded for a month and was prohibited to leave without a guardian watching over her. Other times, she tells the duke and duchess that she doesn't know where Taffyta is. Rather ironic, since Candlehead and her family is of rather low standing and yet the two are best of friends. Maybe it's because of the fact that Candlehead and her parents are pretty much servants for the family; heck, they even live on the manor grounds just like the typical peasant family!

"Hey, her airheadedness has always came to your rescue, Duchess," Vanellope gently chides, always reminding the future duchess of her friend's loyalty.

"I suppose you're right, Princess. Who can blame Candlehead, really?" Taffyta sighs.

Truffles, meanwhile, wanders out from the holding area, getting rather bored. She sniffs the air, looking for her owner's distinctive vanilla scent. She chirps happily, following the trail, but she stops to sniff the air again. Another scent hangs in the air... Strawberry? The young teal gryphon tilts her head a bit, trying to determine who that might be. Vanellope mentioned that Taffyta's here, right? So maybe that's her! Truffles chirps again, running faster to where the two girls are. Her excellent sense of smell sets her apart from most gryphons, as gryphons tend to just eat anything edible that is thrown at them without so much as a sniff. For this, Truffles is known to be a picky eater. Chirping again, she runs up towards the princess when she sees her, nuzzling up to her beloved owner and surprising Taffyta.

"Whoa! Truffles, you almost gave me a heart attack!" she complains, seeing Vanellope happily rubbing the gryphon's belly.

"Hey, I told ya to behave, girl!" The rowdy princess laughs, "You're such a goofball, Truffles."

Taffyta couldn't help but smile a bit. Marsha used to be like that when she was younger, but the babyish playfulness of the gryphon seemed to diminish with age. Truffles, though? It seems like she never runs out of energy! Sticking the lollipop back in, she's starting to feel like this one guy she heard about once. He was a thief and he had the craziest sweet tooth one could imagine. Always had a lollipop in his mouth and a bag of sweets, or "emergency rations", as he liked to call it. What was his name again? Started with a G, she remembers. Gail? Gaia? Whatever, she thinks. Why on earth is she remembering this bit? Must be a whimsy little thought, she tells herself, shaking her head.

"Sorry that Truffles crashed our meeting, Taffy," Vanellope apologizes, snapping Taffyta out of her thoughts.

"Oh, it's no problem, Your Highness. I have to go now anyways," she nods, turning to leave. Inwardly, she scolds herself for not telling the eventual queen about how she feels about her. Soon, she tells herself. Soon, I'll tell her how I feel.

Now the big problem is... How will she tell her parents when the time comes? And how will they react?

**A/N: About the thief, he's an actual character from a Nintendo 3DS game called Fire Emblem: Awakening. His name is Gaius and in all honesty, I seriously thought of Taffyta the first time I saw him because of the lollipop in his mouth! I don't own Fire Emblem nor do I own Wreck-It Ralph.**


	4. A Short Look at Flubberbutter Manor

Lord Markipan Fluggerbutter stands on the back porch of the modest-looking mansion, looking out at the fields from behind the mansion. Their plot of land is a rather nice area, with a slow and gentle river flowing across it, rolling hills, and a smaller, yet fertile, subplot of land for the farmers to work the fields. Things are absolutely peachy keen at Fluggerbutter Manor, really. His wife is in the holding area with Rancis, tending to Peanut the Gryphon.

Unlike the other gryphons, who were gifts to their owners, Peanut's an orphan. He was found a few years ago in the same field behind the mansion. It wasn't that his mother died, but it was that when he was found, he was...abandoned. No one knows where his mother is or if she actually _is_ dead, really.

Still, that doesn't make Rancis love Peanut any less. In fact, he considers the brown gryphon like a brother. Peanut is a gentle beast, one that everyone, even Markipan, loves. His fur and feathers, like every other gryphon's, are soft like cotton, with a striking chocolate brown fur color with feathers the color of peanut butter. Even smells of peanut butter! He's much less rowdy than most gryphons, especially Truffles. That comes from the fact that Peanut is a male gryphon and everyone knows that male gryphons aren't nearly as aggressive as females. They're also smaller, too, since the females tend to need the strength and size to defend the hatchlings. All the males do is hunt for food, but that doesn't mean their size and strength any less impressive.

Peanut chirps calmly, nuzzling up to the mother and son duo. Kat smiles calmly, bravely filing down the gryphon's talons. Her ice blue eyes focus intently on the talons, working a rough filer down on it. One wrong move and the gryphon will be bleeding and screeching in pain. Her wavy honey-colored hair blows softly in the wind, as the doors of the holding area had to be opened up to let the cool breeze in. Rancis, on the other hand, is brushing Peanut's fur, careful not to spook him. Coming from a long line of gryphon racers, Kat has taught Rancis everything about taking care of race gryphons. The one key thing to brushing a gryphon's fur, she once told him, is to never spook them. They're like horses, calm and gentle one minute and violent and crazed the next if you're not careful.

"I say, Peanut! Your fur is absolutely gorgeous!" Rancis exclaims, running a hand through his fur and feathers. Peanut chirps proudly, spreading his wings for Kat to check them out.

"Judging by the appearance, I'd say your wingspan is tipping the measurements at about eight or ten feet, Peanut," the lady smiles. In general, the gryphon is a little bigger and stockier than the average male gryphon, weighing in at a solid 425 pounds and with a ten-foot wingspan.

"You suppose we should let him out for some fresh air, Mother?" Rancis asks, eyes bright with eagerness.

"Well, I don't see how that's a bad idea. Besides, Peanut does need the conditioning so he is in his prime when the time for the races come," Kat admits, stepping back a bit to let the gryphon out.

With a healthy-sounding screech, Peanut flies out into the fields, surprising Markipan. "By God, that nearly gave me a fright!" he exclaims, holding a hand over his heart. Honestly, he didn't expect Peanut to suddenly fly out like that.

From behind, Rancis and Kat giggle at the lord's surprise. "Darling, we only let Peanut out," she explains. "Besides, he needs the fresh air, just like any other animal companion."

Markipan nods, pretending to understand. He himself does not come from a competitive background, and as such, does not understand much about gryphon caretaking. "Well, be sure to watch when or where you let him out, dear. Some people do get rather skittish at such surprises." he says, watching Peanut frolicking in the fields.

Rancis nods. "We'll be more careful next time, Father!"

"Good lad," the baron smiles, an English accent ever so subtle in his voice. A far cry to his son's more noticeable accent, they say. Markipan's always reasoned that Rancis picked up his mother's accent, since where he and Lady Kat came from is reminiscent to England. He relaxes a bit and goes to the kitchen, asking one of the cooks to prepare some red licorice tea for them.

Fluggerbutter Manor is rather modest compared to the other two manors, but everyone would kill to live like them: servants working for you, wearing stylish clothes of the season, not having to worry about getting food on your family's dinner table tonight... Being one of the three high houses of Sugar Rush definitely has its perks. But even Lord Markipan is jealous. Jealous of House Mutttonfudge, that is. He shakes the thought away, for right now, he's just focused on relaxing with his family.

"An absolutely beautiful day, I say," he comments, sitting back on a chair.

"Indeed, love," Kat nods, watching Peanut drink from the river of Sprite soda, giggling when the gryphon hisses a bit. "My, my. I wonder what's got the gryphon riled up."

Rancis smiles at the crazy antics of his brotherly friend, kicking back a bit. He's rather excited for the Gryphon Races, as at least he'll be out of this stiff and overly formal wear and into the light armor of the riders while the races go on for the races a day, which doesn't seem like much at all, but the Gryphon Races go on for longer and often have intense obstacles, making the races more exciting than, say, any horse race. However, at the end, the races end with a mini tourney to see who'll win the 100,000 gold pieces. One either wins the gold or loses, simple as that. Second place winners don't get anything, not even a trophy or a medal, which is why winning first place is extremely important. That's an important goal for the lower class, especially those who has daughters that absolutely refuse to work in a brothel. For families like Rancis's, Crumbelina's, Taffyta's, or even Vanellope's, though, winning the gold will just add to their wealth.

The cook comes by with the red licorice tea, piping hot and steeped to perfection. "I hope you enjoy the tea, milords and milady," he nods and quickly leaves.

"Have a nice day, Crunch!" Markipan calls out, holding up a cup of tea in his direction. Crunch Orangeboar, along with his wife Gloria and his son Gloyd, live on the manor. They had to sell their house because they sorely needed the money, but Markipan generously offered them to live on the manor. As a result, Gloyd and Rancis became good friends.

The three talk about their day, happily sipping tea. Personally, Rancis enjoys it when they get together like this. There's nothing better than when a family sets aside some time to bond and talk. Even with the teasing he gets from Taffyta and Candlehead, it feels nice to be a member of House Fluggerbutter.

**A****/****N****: ****About ****the ****name ****Crunch****, ****my ****niece ****gave ****up ****on ****finding ****a ****good ****name ****for ****Mr****. ****Orangeboar****, ****so ****she ****settled ****on ****his ****name ****directly ****referencing ****the ****Nestle ****Crunch ****Bars****. ****Thanks ****for ****reading****!**


	5. Party at the Caremellos' Mansion

**A/N: I'm already running out of ideas! I can keep going with making things up as I type for a good two or three chapters, but you, too, can now contribute a few ideas! Also, I have a lack of knowledge regarding Italian names, so I might flip-flop between DiCaramello and Caramello when regarding Crumbelina's family. I'm leaning towards Caramello, since I believe the Di in the name means "of" if I remember correctly. I personally typically omit that part when referring to the family, but when one says something like House DiCaramello, that translates to House of Caramello (which does sound proper for the family's title, in all honesty). If anyone knows how to properly refer to the family, let me know!**

Yet another party at the the count and countess's manor. But who wouldn't love a party there? Count Cannolio is a wonderful party host, known for his unusual, yet endearing, scruffy beard and round figure. Sorta like a dark-haired Italian Santa Claus, but a little slimmer.

Crumbelina and her mother Carmella prefer the quietness between weekly parties, discussing the upcoming races or sipping tea or sharing a good read or two. Rather ironic, considering Crumbelina's excited for the races, known for their high-speed energy and intensity. Which, once again, isn't very surprising, since both of her parents came from strong racing backgrounds. But for now, they socialize and enjoy the fun of the typical DiCaramello party.

"And then, Duke Cadbury stormed out the castle, only for him to be pelted with a wild snowstorm!" Carmella laughs, sipping some exquisite zabaglione. The other partygoers, mostly those from foreign lands, laugh along with her.

"You tell the most exciting stories, Countess Carmella-chan!" praises Samurai Mochi, his loud and powerful laugh memorable amongst the nobility. "Tell us about the time when Cannolio-sama was left outside during a storm!"

"Oh, alright. But I'm sure my daughter recalls better than I," replies the countess. "It was a rather amusing time, albeit one I unfortunately don't recall well. Crumbelina, sweetie, could you tell us what happened to your father?"

Crumbelina, who was talking with Minty Sakura, comes over, happy to tell the story again. "Very well, Mother. Hmm... Well, I suppose it all began when it started to rain. Mother ordered us to close the windows just in case it started raining hard. So I helped our servants to close up everything, but we didn't think that Father was still visiting Lord Markipan and Lady Kat! So we kept the doors locked, since we supposed that Father would stay with the baron and his wife. We supposed incorrectly, seeing that Father was slamming the door, calling out to us! He didn't sound angry, oh no. He sounded quite frightened, really. Mother, Jubileena and her sister Citrusella, and I all exchanged very surprised looks with each other, and I believe we let him in after he said something along the lines of, 'I beg of you guys to let me in! Please! I'm cold and soaked to the bone!' Actually, that _was_ what he said, word for word."

The adults laugh raucously, partially from the alcohol, partially from the story. Even Cannolio laughs along! "Ahaha! That definitely wasn't the smartest idea of me to return home while it was raining. I should have stayed with the Fluggerbutters, huh?" the count admits, still chuckling a bit.

Crumbelina goes back to her friends, enjoying the bards' music on the way back. In all honesty, she does enjoy the social gatherings from time to time. At least she gets to see such friends like Minty Sakura and make new friends like the twin sisters Ebony and Ivory. Smiling, she greets her friends. "Hope you enjoyed yourselves while I relayed a story to the adults," the future countess states.

"I can tell that everyone likes that story," Sakura giggles, having clearly overheard the story.

The Italian dessert-themed girl smirks a bit, saying, "Well, when you're the daughter of a party host, you tend to pick up on some hints and tips to entertain the guests."

"Say, we've never seen your gryphon, Crumbs," the twins piped up, excited to see the elegant Cassata, an unusually calm and reserved female gryphon of Crumbelina's. She has told them about her before, but they never actually got to see her.

"Well, it is only fair for you three to see my darling gryphon Cassie," admits Crumbelina, referring to her gryphon by the nickname Cannolio gave Cassata. She leads the three out of the main party area and into the holding area. Being a hot late spring day, the night is a refreshing cooldown; something Ebony and Ivory enjoys, evidenced when the twins started leaning over the fence door of the holding area.

Cassata lays there, swishing her tail, when she sees the group. Chirping happily, she gets up and stretches a bit, her luscious caramel-colored fur glistening ever so slightly in the light. She's rather unusually colored for a gryphon, as she's uniformly colored, along with a dappled pattern of white spots, throughout her body. Most gryphons, at least in this kingdom, have two colors: one for the fur on their body and another for their feathers. Her eyes are honey-colored just like Crumbelina's and she has a motherly air around her. The reason being is unknown, since Cassata has never nurtured young. Another thing that sets her apart from most gryphons is that Cassata is twenty or so years old. She _could_ have mothered three or four younglings, but she never has. When Carmella used to race, she has said that letting Cassata bear young would reduce her capacity as a formidable racing gryphon.

And now Cassata is Crumbelina's gryphon and she's still tough competition. Sakura gazed at the gryphon in awe, taking in the impressive size and surprisingly gentle personality. "Whoa... You know, Crumbelina? Maybe I should partake in the Gryphon Races! With your sturdy mounts and high-energy races, Mother and Father are sure to enjoy a sport like this!" Sakura nods.

The twins finally take notice of Cassata and rush over to her. "So this is Cassie? We've never seen a gryphon where we live! Whoa... This is so cool!" gasps Ivory, running a hand through the caramel-colored gryphon's fur.

Ebony looks into her eyes, as if challenging the gryphon into a battle of strength. From where Ebony and Ivory come from, which would be similar to a mix of Scotland and Norway or perhaps Iceland, dragons roam free instead of gryphons. There, dragon-wrestling is a common sport, but the inhabitants would never intentionally harm them; there, dragons are well-respected. So Ebony figures she could test her strength against a gryphon. However, Cassata screeches a bit at her in confusion, which could be taken as turning down the offer.

Secretly, in all honesty, Crumbelina hopes that at least Sakura could join. Even better if Ebony or Ivory or maybe both could, too. That'll be a very interesting race if they all could join, she thinks to herself. The only problem is... How are they gonna get a gryphon and learn to ride in a matter of a month? And if they can't, will dragons be allowed?

This might be a little more difficult than I thought, Crumbelina thinks, biting her lip a bit. Still, though, maybe a few dragons might add more excitement to the races, even though there is already enough to hop up a crowd on that stuff. Then again, dragons have many advantages over gryphons: they're born for endurance flights and they can breathe fire, or ice in the case of the twins. Gryphons may be able to fly fast, but they can't avoid everything, that much Crumbelina knows. Another thing to consider is that dragons are stronger and bigger than the biggest gryphons and the fact that a dragon has never interacted with a gryphon is a little unnerving to see how it'll go. Either way, Crumbelina really wants them to join in on the races, even if it takes crazy measures to get them into the races. The clever would-be countess smiles as she has a plan cooking up in her head.

**A/N: I know, I know. Some of my readers are probably wanting some real plot development now. I can't make any promises, but I'll try to make the plot go forward next chapter. As a character from one of my new favorite shows say: thanks for coming out, everyone! And as always, I don't own Wreck-It Ralph, except for my two OCs (Ebony and Ivory) mentioned.**


	6. Flight Training with the Muttonfudges

Everyone at Muttonfudge Manor is pretty busy; they wanted to utilize every minute they have before the races to prepare right. Eclaire took it upon herself to personally show Taffyta the ins and outs of gryphon racing, even eventually letting her to practice racing a few times so Marsha will be used to flying at high speeds. Cadbury is to watch the practice sessions, rather nervous about how they'll go about the sessions; Taffyta has ridden before, but never really seriously before. It's definitely a new thing to see Cadbury even the slightest bit skittish, but that might stem from the fact that his father was forced into early retirement after a bad injury resulting from a crash. That's also why he used to let Eclaire do the serious racing: fear of being injured. But now they're older now, both in their early 40s now.

"Taffyta, do not pull back on the reins much. Let the gryphon breathe. Let the gryphon's beak move freely," instructs the duchess, unusually patient when it comes to gryphon racing business. This being her daughter's first race, she of course understands how nervous the pink racer is.

Taffyta takes a deep breath, relaxing her grip and letting the reins slack a bit. At that, Marsha screeches more relaxedly. "Right, right. Just relax," she mumbles to herself, scratching the pink-and-white gryphon's tufted ears.

"You'll find that if you just relax, you'll focus better," Eclaire advises, smiling gently.

Cadbury calls out, "You better win, especially against the Von Schweetz girl!"

She swallowed nervously at that. She knows how heated competition can get between Cadbury and Candy. Same for Eclaire and Pizzella. Unbeknownst to them, she not only is good friends with Vanellope, but has a crush on her. It wasn't that the Muttonfudges were pure from same-sex love; it's quite the opposite, really. It's that they're so against the family. She's also willing to be on the king and queen's good side, mainly for when it comes time to come out to everyone. Honestly, if the Muttonfudges didn't have such a heated hate towards the family, Taffyta would have told her parents ages ago.

"That will show the royal family that we are the superior racers! My daughter, you understand that you come from a line of racers, do you not?" Cadbury asks.

Taffyta nods, pretending to be excited for this. In truth, she's hoping that her arrogant competitiveness won't get in the way of things. From what she once read up in the family archives, the family's sheer pride sometimes made them blindingly cocky, often underestimating their rivals. That has embarrassed the family numerous times before and Cadbury is rather vehement in undoing that.

"Oh, we can smell the sweet, sweet scent of the gold now," Eclaire smiles, her steel-blue eyes dilating slightly.

Marsha screeches impatiently, itching to take to the skies. She flares her wings, but Taffyta pulls on the reins to keep her down for at least a little while longer.

"Right, right. The thought of showing you racing basics has slipped my mind! My most sincere apologies, Taffyta. Now where were we... Oh, yes! To stop, you pull the reins back gently, as you obviously showed," Eclaire nods. "Slowing down, however, is slightly different. Settle down in the saddle and gently pull on the reins and tell the gryphon to go easy. It isn't recommended to go at a high speed when turning. I personally suggest to slow down to about three-quarters of your speed when turning. That way, when everyone is crashing, you will pull ahead of them."

Once again, the pink racer nods, intently listening to the woman she looks up to. A racing heroine, she's always called her, and now she's getting advice from the former ten-time champion that is her mother!

"You may now take flight if you so desire. Show us your flying skills," orders the duchess.

And just like that, Taffyta and Marsha take to the air, a blur of pink. "Whoa..." the would-be racer gasps slightly. The rush of the adrenaline is rather exciting, but more importantly, this gives her time to plan out her thoughts for when all is said and done after the races. She decides to tell them after the races, to admit her love to the princess, and to show everyone that not all of House Muttonfudge is a brash and unbearably abrasive braggart. The wait is going to be long and painful, but she'll manage.

Suddenly, Marsha, deciding to pull a prank on her owner, suddenly goes in a loop, scaring Taffyta. "Marsha!" she chides, a little shaken up from the sudden loop. The pink-and-white gryphon chips playfully, sounding almost as if she's laughing.

Back on ground level, the duke and duchess can't help but laugh at the gryphon's mischievous act. "I say, young Marsha there still has her childish ways, or, rather, at least some traces of it," laughs Cadbury.

Taffyta decides the risk of distraction by thoughts isn't worth any more pranks from her companion, so she focuses instead on the task at hand. She lightly kicks her spurs against Marsha, making her go fast. Her platinum blonde hair whipping in the wind, it feels, in all honesty, rather nice. "Alright, girl, on three, we do a roll, alright?" she whispers into the beast's ear. Marsha nods and Taffyta lies low as the gryphon spins on her side, tucking in the wings a bit.

"An excellent side-roll there!" applauds Eclaire, a smug smirk on her face. I've taught her well, she thinks to herself.

Up in the air, the future duchess is flying high and proud, quickly and boldly. A powerful image, for sure, especially after seeing Marsha's wings spread. A worthy and solid racer in the lineup for sure. How will the competition compare?

**A/N: Unfortunately, this chapter is a little shorter than usual. I got writer's block and I'm going to Disney World soon. That means no new chapter until probably Tuesday, but I'm hoping that I'll get it up by Monday! As always, I don't own Wreck-It Ralph.**


	7. An Unexpected Visit from Stinkbrain

**A/N: Ya know, I probably should have established some magic in this story when I first started writing this. A medieval fantasy isn't complete without magic, after all! A magic-using Vanellope or Rancis would be so awesome! What else am I forgetting... Oh, yeah! I don't own Wreck-It Ralph...**

A few days have passed and Vanellope was brushing Truffles's fur when Sour Bill comes in, not daring to come closer as always. "Milady, I believe a friend of yours is here," he drones.

"Really, eh? Didn't expect a visitor. Taffyta left just half an hour ago, so it's definitely not her," the princess reasons, raising an eyebrow.

"Heyo, Princess Fartfeathers!" a familiar voice calls out, followed by a quieter, more polite voice.

"Ralph, you should not address Princess Vanellope that way," Felix scolds, waving his healing staff in a threatening way as if to bonk him.

The teen girl smiles and puts away the brush, Truffles joining her in on the fun. Truffles likes the two. She especially likes playing rough with Ralph since he can handle the rowdiness.

The spunky future queen laughs, "Well, well, well. If it ain't Stinkbrain and his pal, the priest!"

Felix blushes, saying, "I'm not a priest, Princess Vanellope! You remember when Tammy and I got married, do you? Sure I can heal injuries, but I'm not a priest..."

"Just joshin' with ya, Brother Healer. Oh, and you can just call me Vanellope," she reassures. "So what brings ya here?"

"Oh, ya know. We heard about the upcoming Gryphon Races in this Candy Land knockoff. We just wanted to visit to make sure everything's okay and to give ya some support," the giant man smiles, shrugging a bit. "Oh, and we're gonna be watching, too."

"Sweet! Thanks, guys. You're seriously the bestest friends a gal like me can have. Sniper's gonna watch, too, right?" she asks.

"Oh, don't worry! She'll be watching! She says she'd never miss a big racing event like this to see how you race!" the smaller of the two assures, smiling as always.

Truffles comes up to Ralph and chirps happily at him, jumping up at him and licking his face. Even with his horrendous hygiene, Truffles still gives him quite the affectionate assault of licks and cuddles.

The axe fighter laughs, being a surprisingly ticklish person, "H-hey! Stop it, you fuzzy eagle-lion! Haha! I have a ticklish face!"

The other two laugh, deciding to just let Truffles lick him clean. Besides, it's more fun to let him have it instead of getting him out of the situation at hand. The young racing gryphon tackles him down, much like an excitable dog, and wags her tail. Her talons being filed down means that no one will get seriously hurt, so the roughhousing is alright in the king and queen's book. So long as nothing breaks, of course. That has happened only twice and proper punishment was delivered: they may not see each other for the rest of the day nor could they play rough like that for the week. Since then, an incident like those two has never happened.

"Agh!" Ralph interjects, surprised by the gryphon's strength. Not being a racer, he's one of many who doesn't understand the true strength of a gryphon. "Don't snack on me, you flying cat!"

"Hey, Truffs! I got a nice gummy bear for ya if ya get off of Ralph," the rider offers to her teal friend. Truffles gets off of the fighter and wags her tail, sitting on her haunches. At that height, she reaches about 5'8", considerably taller than Vanellope's short stature of 4'11"; a far cry of when Truffles reached 2'6" and Vanellope was about 3'4". "Here ya go, ya crazy beast," she laughs, throwing the gummy bear up in the air for her to grab it.

"Oh, wow. Truffles got really big!" Felix exclaims.

"That's proof of a good owner for ya, Brother Healer. Ya see, when ya treat a gryphon with love and care, it'll grow big and strong. Mom told me horror stories of abusive owners and the gryphons ended up being small and weak, maybe even dying during a race," Vanellope explains.

The two men grimace at that. Who would harm such a large and majestic creature? And how could they do that up to the point where they actually died racing? Vanellope nods sadly, learning from her mother that not everyone regards a gryphon as their equal. In an attempt at changing the subject, Ralph stutters, "W-well, you're a great owner, kid...right? I mean, the evidence is right there in Truffles!"

Truffles chirps proudly, straightening up a bit and spreading her wings. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Stinkbrain," the princess smiles.

"Anyways, I hope you win against that pink Muttonfudge brat!" Ralph encourages, snorting a bit. He's not the biggest fan of Taffyta, reasons being that she can be a haughty and obnoxious girl. That rarely happens, but when they do, it grinds Ralph's gears so much... "That oughtta teach her not to be so cocky!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, what if I told ya that I have a crush on the same 'pink Muttonfudge brat', chumbo?" Vanellope asks, going pale when she realized what slipped out of her mouth.

"What?!" the fighter shouts, holding a hand over his heart. It's not that he liked her that way, nor is it the fact that the kid came out, but it's the fact that she's in love with the same girl he dislikes that is rather jarring.

"Don't tell anyone, alright, guys? It's gonna cause a Romeo and Juliet on our hands," she theorizes. shrugging a bit. Truffles nods at them, her feathers ruffled up a bit.

"Your secret's safe with us, Your Majesty," Felix affirms, nodding vigorously.

Ralph sighs, knowing how seriously the pint-sized racer is taking this. "Fine, but you still gotta win against her, kid. That snob really annoys the fudge outta me and she always has a smug look on her face. Not to mention that her sparkles and the pinkness is very disorienting to my eyes. Ugh."

"Course I will, Lumberjack! In mock races, I always came out on top," brags the princess, a smug smirk on her face. Of course, those were just on simple, oval-shaped tracks, just like horse racetracks; the real races will span across most of the kingdom. Not to mention those were short and quick, unlike the time-consuming true races.

The two glance quickly at each other, clearly a little apprehensive about this. There'll obviously be more competitors, not just Tafftyta. Some have more drive to win, too, especially since most of the racers this year are in bad financial shape. Really, everyone is talking about how fierce the competition is this time around; not even the first few races were ever this charged! The only racers that aren't a member of the aristocracy that are fine with not winning would be Jubileena and her twin sister Citrusella. The reason for that is another story, but when it boils down to it, those two are the notable exceptions.

"Hey, wanna see how a gryphon racer dresses? I'm itching to get outta the sparkles!" she suddenly pipes up, tugging at the collar of her dress. In heat like this, most of the noble kids don't really want to stay in their fancy dresses or trousers and tunics. Vanellope's the exception, as she _never_ wants to be in the dress.

"Uh, sure, alright," replies Ralph, curious to see how the armor would look.

The excited royal squeals and zips up to her room, leaving Truffles with Ralph and Felix. The gryphon's fierce brown eyes dilates at seeing Felix, as if scrutinizing him. She makes a sound that seems to be in-between a chirp and a screech, sounding sort of like a high-pitched whistle. Felix starts breathing nervously, unsure if that means that Truffles wants to play with him or not. The rather large leoraptorine opens her beak slightly, smiling a bit. She flicks her tail and she nuzzles up to Felix, making the most unusual "purring"-like sound the two has ever heard from her.

"Uh, Ralph? Is this a normal gryphon sound? Aren't gryphons supposed to, ya know, make eagle sounds?" Felix stutters, going absolutely bonkers and nervous about this.

"Gee, uh... I dunno, brother. I'd guess so, since gryphons are part lion, after all," the wood cutter shrugs, scratching his head a bit. Truffles licks Felix's face happily, flustering the poor guy. Ralph laughs at that, though.

And as quickly as she left, Vanellope comes back, garbed in the mandatory light armor the riders wear. "Whaddya guys think of this? Now _this_ is me," the girl gloats, proud of this rather tough-looking image the armor gives her. The armor consists of heavy iron boots with spurs and they go up to the knees. Leg guards are strapped onto the boots and the riders wear arm guards. The guys wear short trousers, typically black, and an undershirt, but the girls wear a tunic, also typically black, that goes down to their thighs. Both genders wear a chest plate with hip guards that can be attached on and both have a helmet with a visor that covers their eyes. A striking difference, though this may be due to Vanellope's ponytail, is that she's wearing her hair down.

If Ralph and Felix didn't know any better, they would have thought that Vanellope is getting ready for battle! "Whoa! Looks like Baroness Boogerface got a major kick-butt upgrade!" Ralph shouts, disregarding anyone who might be in the castle. "Kid, are you seriously going to war? That armor looks pretty scary, to be honest."

"Well, yeah, the armor does look pretty intense, but ya get used to it," the armor-clad girl says. The armor is a stunningly beautiful cerulean frost color, an unexpected change from the usual teal. Being that the armor is partially made from metal, there's also a nice metallic sheen to it.

Truffles sniffs Vanellope, getting used to the metallic smell of iron. She's never smelled something like this before, so it's definitely going to take some getting used to. The eagle-headed winged lion remains slightly wary of the armor, since it's mostly blocking her owner's scent.

"Say, wanna watch me fly around on Truffles here? I can also show ya a little bit of the tracks for this year. It'll be awesome and it'll give ya sneak peek of what's to come in the races!" the princess offers, raising her visor.

"We'd be honored to, Your Highness!" Felix accepts, smiling wide.

"I don't see why not. We've never seen ya race before, ya little runt," Ralph nods.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, Truffles!" the pint-sized future queen yelps happily, leading her three friends into the holding area.

**A/N: For future reference, I will sometimes refer to Truffles as Vanellope's friend. Also, the armor I described (with the exception of the helmet) is referencing the armor of a Griffon Rider from Fire Emblem: Awakening. There are maybe one or two minute differences from what I described, though. The helmet references the helmet of a Dark Knight from the same game. As I said once before, I don't own Fire Emblem.**


	8. The Kids Make a Crazy Plan

**A/N: Oh, jeez! It's been a week since I said the chapter will take a little longer than usual to be put up! Sorry for the relatively long delay, my readers! This is an average-sized chapter, too, so that's a shame. I coulda made this longer than usual like the last time, but I'm not sure if I can keep up with the usual "one chapter every other day" schedule anymore with the lack of ideas. As always, I don't own Wreck-It Ralph.**

Crumbelina sets out early in the morning to check up on Cassata, like she often does. She doesn't need to, of course, but Crumbelina is known in the family to be an early riser. Even distant relatives of whom she knows little about knows her early-morning habits! Besides, it's always nice to see a friend before going off into your routine, she once said.

Cassata sits in her sleeping spot in the holding area, happily preening her feathers. The holding area is a wide and open room, much like a stable with the stalls removed. Actually, before gryphon racing became popular, many of the aristocrats did indeed have horses. Being that the Caramello Manor has been inherited generation after generation, the stables here have long since modified to house gryphons.

Cassata hops up onto her feet and goes up to Crumbelina at a pace between a walk and a run. She nuzzles up to the young girl, chirping quietly and licking her face.

"Cassie!" Crumbelina giggles, the gryphon's tongue tickling her. This day, Crumbelina's going to meet up with Rancis and Taffyta. She'll tell them of her plan to hopefully get Minty Sakura, Ebony, and Ivory into the races today.

A voice caught her off-guard, a familiar cheery voice that can be only Jubileena's. "Mornin', Milady!" she greets, as happily as always.

Crumbelina jumps in surprise. Jubileena and Citrusella live with the family, so Crumbelina knows a lot about them. Still, it's rare that the cherry girl is up this early. "Juju, you gave me quite the fright there! It's not like you to be up so early," she points out, using the endearing nickname that Citrusella calls her.

"Oh, ya know. It's nice for a change every so often. Of course, you know how much Citrus loves sleep," the happy-go-lucky "servant" (if she is even that. She just lives with the family) replies, rocking back and forth on her feet.

The eventually-to-be countess couldn't help but laugh at that. Juju can be such a goofball sometimes, she thinks. But it is true: Citrusella is a heavy sleeper and tends to sleep in till late in the morning. "I see you've been waiting for your gryphon," the Italian desserts-themed girl brings up, hoping to start a small conversation before going out and about.

"Crumbs, ya know that Cherry loves the great outdoors rather than being cooped up!" Jubileena laughs. Clearly, she's failing at mocking exasperation. Cherry, just like her owner Jubileena, has a happy outlook on life. Also just like Jubileena, Cherry has a twin gryphon sister named Berry, which is obviously Citrusella's gryphon. That's very rare for a gryphon to have a twin, as most often, the older sibling will often overpower and kill the younger twin.

"Right, right," the other nods. On the far side of the room, Berry sleeps in her spot. A rather amusing thing in this room is that Cassata always frets over Berry, just like a mother does to her child. Very typical of Cassata, but it's quite amusing to see Berry stumble around a bit while she's groggy. "Anyways, I'm going out to meet up with Rancis and Taffyta. Do you wish to tag along?"

"Sure thing, Countess Crumbelina!" Jubileena pipes up, smiling at Crumbelina's blushing face. She loves to tease the posh girl about her status as a higher-up noble, much to Crumbelina's dismay. The two girls leave the mansion, noting the red-and-tea-rose colored gryphon flying about. They didn't even go past the gate when they hear Cassata's fussy screeching and chirping and Berry's tired and peeved-sounding chirps, surprising the two and even waking up a few of the servants. They laugh and run off, not wanting to wait and see what will happen.

They slow to a casual walk, soon joining up with Rancis. "Hello, my dear companion Rancis. I suppose Taffyta will join us along with Candlehead?" asks Crumbelina.

Rancis nods, stating, "Oh, yes. I'm sure of it. Gloyd will be here shortly, too."

"Good. I have a plan I want to discuss with you. It deals with hopefully getting our lovely friends into the Races," Crumbelina explains.

"Whoa! You know that's gonna be pretty hard, Crumbs," interjects the cherry girl, shaking her head.

"Well, Ebony, Ivory, and Minty Sakura seemed to be eager to join the Races," the other girl persists, remaining stolid and firmly determined on the matter. "Even though the twins have never ridden a gryphon before, it can't be that difficult to teach them the basics. As for Minty Sakura, surely she has ridden a horse before. Riding a gryphon isn't too different."

"Still, it is unforgivingly difficult to tame a wild gryphon. With the races so close, there is no way we can tame a gryphon, let alone three! Crumbelina, you do realize you have lofty visions of the three being able to join the races, don't you?" sighs Rancis, begging Crumbelina to reconsider.

The familiar voice of the daughter of a certain duke sounds out. "Ya know, I believe that Crumbelina can do it," Taffyta admits, smirking a bit as she twirls her lollipop a bit. "It just takes guts, determination, and heart," she adds.

"Yeah! All they need to do is to be nice to the gryphons!" Candlehead smiles innocently.

"What?! Candlehead, you should know that one cannot just be nice to a wild gryphon!" huffs the pretty-boy, staring at her incredulously. His bright blue eyes are marred by fear and worry for the others' safety.

"C'mon, Fancy Rancy! Admit it: you secretly believe that Crumbs here can help them tame three gryphons AND teach them the basics," teases Gloyd, who suddenly came up from behind Rancis. Seeing him jump a hundred feet into the air due to surprise is enough to make the prankster laugh.

"Gloyd! Surely you can't be serious!" Rancis frowns at his friend.

Crumbelina smiles, saying, "Well, looks like you're all set to go on this crazy scheme of mine, then. Alright, I believe we're all here, I suppose? Good. Now, as you have already guessed, I do plan to tame a few gryphons for our distant friends. And I am reassured to know that some of you do believe I can do that in such a short time. However, I cannot do it alone. I intend to get my dear friends, that's you, of course, to aid me in my rather ambitious endeavor. Another issue regards the fact that Ebony and Ivory live a fair bit away from the mainland. Their home is separated from our land by a wide river. We will have to somehow find a way to travel there without being caught. But the bigger issue is that Minty Sakura lives farther away from us than the twins do. How do we propose we do that?"

That indeed is a rather tough problem to tackle. Minty Sakura lives far east, whereas the twins live up north and to the west while not being as far as Sakura does. The others think on that, some looking up at the sky in hopes of an idea coming to them.

Candlehead suddenly breaks the silence, explaining, "You should send a message to Minty Sakura! Maybe her parents will let her go join the races?" Shortly after that, she sees a butterfly, thereby being her usual airheaded self.

Crumbelina and the others are surprised, knowing that Candlehead is a bit of a ditz. They haven't really thought that such an innocent and typical Candlehead statement would be an excellently ingenious plan. "That... That's a brilliant plan, Candlehead!" exclaims the sophisticated girl. "We'll send a message to Minty Sakura. Her parents will most likely let her race, so they'll come on over here periodically. As for our Viking and her piper sister, we'll personally visit them and tell them of our two-phase plan of getting them into the Gryphon Races."

The others nodded, agreeing that this is a good plan. Crumbelina has definitely shown her determination of getting the three into the Races, her heart of good intentions, and her guts to tame not one, not two, but three wild gryphons before the races start! But only time and luck will tell if her hard work is successful.

"It's back to my manor now. I have letter-writing to do," Crumbelina states, walking back as her companion Jubileena follows suit.


End file.
